Voter registration: 'We must all check minors' - Lecturer

A Political Science lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Dr Edward Brenya, has called on civil society organisations, the general public, the Electoral Commission (EC), as well as political parties, to play their part in ensuring minors do not register during the limited registration exercise from April 28 – May 8, 2016.

His call follows a warning issued by Ashanti regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye, to political parties not to attempt to register minors during the upcoming exercise.

Speaking to Class News, Dr Brenya said citizens should be vigilant and report suspected minors, who attempt registering, to the authorities.

“It is [incumbent] on all well-meaning Ghanaians and lovers of democracy to ensure that the law is protected,” he stated.

“The law does not allow minors to register, therefore, I think civil society organisations, the political parties and the agents that are themselves registering, have to make sure that they demand all the necessary identification that will clearly show that an individual registering is not a foreigner and not a minor.

“If we all come together in the interest of protecting our democracy, we will be able to prevent minors from registering. Giving what the officials of the political parties have said and the warnings that have been signaled by the police command in the Ashanti region, I am believing that the political parties are going to comply, they are not going to send any minor; but it is [incumbent] upon us, the civil society, the citizens, [to check the process]”.

“If we suspect an individual is a minor, we have lived with the individual; they are coming from our communities, so, we know them. If any is coming that looks like a minor, I think it is [incumbent] on us that we report, so that these individuals will not register. …It is only when we all join hands together that we can prevent this”.